Canelo Alvarez: Pros and Cons of a Potential Fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

As rumors swirl (h/t ESPN.com) of a possible showdown between the current king of the ring Floyd Mayweather Jr. and future superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez taking place sometime in 2013, there are reasons why the bout could both benefit and hurt Alvarez's career going forward.

Facing an all-time great will look fantastic on Alvarez's resume as long as he has a career in boxing, but there are other factors to consider.

Here are the pros and the cons of "Canelo" facing Mayweather if the fight takes place sometime this year.

Pros of Fighting Mayweather

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First off, the obvious. If Saul "Canelo" Alvarez does end up fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. this year, it would add the ultimate resume builder out of any fighter of the past decade. Going forward in his young career, Canelo can always say he fought the best of an era whether he wins or loses the bout.

Another positive to fighting Mayweather is the increased media attention that comes with fighting the sport's most infamous fighter. Alvarez's name will be on every major sports website in addition to sports-oriented TV programs, getting his name out to the casual fans that may not have heard of him. Canelo would be doing his career a favor.

Money is also one of the positives that come out of a Mayweather-involved bout. The man who commands the most money in the sport, Mayweather, means a bigger payday for anyone fighting him, including Alvarez.

Lastly, the biggest positive would come in the scenario that Alvarez defies the odds and is able to beat the undefeated Mayweather. If Canelo could pull off the shocking upset, his career would skyrocket to new heights, setting him up to become the leader of the next generation of superstars in the ring.

Cons of Fighting Mayweather

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Fighting the best fighter in the world can also come with a few negatives in addition to the positives.

If Saul "Canelo" Alvarez comes out flat against Floyd "Money" Mayweather, then his career could take a major blow, having him written off as an largely untested fighter who lost his only fight with a big-name opponent.

Setting up a Mayweather bout could prevent another matchup with a worthy opponent from taking place in the near future. If Alvarez loses, fights that may have been awarded to Canelo before may be given to other fighters waiting to make their mark in the sport. That could set Alvarez's career back a year or more, making it a bad decision to fight Mayweather, especially as "Money" nears retirement.

With Alvarez being accustomed to winning, losing a possible bout with Mayweather could hurt Canelo's confidence. No matter what sport one takes part in, losing always creates a negative mindset, one that some can shake quicker than others. If Alvarez's confidence is shaken, then his demeanor in the ring post-Mayweather could cause lackluster performances and even result in more losses down the line.